Life as a Teenage Mutant in New York City
by CrazyCatSpeaker
Summary: From this point onward, Life as a Teenage Mutant in New York City shall no longer continue under that name. I have decided to stop production to redo and improve the story so it appeals to more readers. Until further notice, the story shall not continue. It will be back eventually so please be patient. University and various life problems will slow this down considerably but it wil
1. Chapter 1 - Introduction

**I do not own the TMNT that right belongs to Nick, I only own the OC's in this story**

New York City, also known as the city that never sleeps, is full of light, life and opportunities. Towering high rises and skyscrapers, bright lights, hundreds of shops, apartments and more. But look behind the scenes from the eyes of its most mysterious inhabitant, and you'll see that it is all a facade. New York is like a coin. On one side you see all the glamour and opportunities but on the other... it's a different story.

Violet eyes watch the buzzing city below from the roof of a high rise. Humans going about their business at least 700 metres below seemed to be only a few metres away. Her large cat ears flick back and forth casually. As yet another police siren started blaring the lithe figure adjusts her position, perched on the edge of the roof. The feminine profile left no doubt on gender. A long, fluffy tail wraps around the silent observer as a chill wind blew through her soft thick fur.

A dejected sigh escapes her lips, her breath visible in the cold air. A feline nose sniffs the air, detecting moisture that could only mean rain. A short muzzle allowed for a highly acute sense of smell and a mouth that was slightly larger than a human's. Powerful jaws made for a formidable bite. A large, powerful brain processed incoming information with an efficiency that was unmatched by any human.

The furry observer silently stands on two legs. Powerful muscles ripple beneath the velvety fur, giving a hint of great strength. An athletic physique reflected a physically demanding lifestyle. Beneath the fur of the 6'1 long tail is powerful muscles, similar to that of a large python. Turning her eyes away from the glare of the lights, her mind wanders. Ebony, an uncommon name, her name, a name that suited her dark fur, just like the name her mother had given her suited her in another way.

Long dark hair hung to her shoulders, occasionally getting in her face. Long slender fingers loosely tie it back in a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes. Ebony is only a 17 year old teenager but is definitely not someone to be underestimated. A belt around her waist had two small scabbards for two odd shaped, ornamental handled blades. The design would make holding them in the hand, let alone fighting with them, very difficult.

She glances over her shoulder at the sound of approaching steps. A silver tabby housecat with deep green eyes casually strolls over to her. The cat sits beside the mutant feline and looks up at her. Ebony silently looks at the silver tabby with interest. Her ability to speak Cat, the 'language' of cats, gives her an unforeseen advantage, an inconspicuous network of eyes and ears... eager to share secrets to those who will listen and return the favour.

Cat "I bring news I believe you will be glad to hear Ebony"

Ebony "What is it Imogen?"

Imogen "Four reptilian mutants have been spotted 1 mile south-west of the harbour on the east side of the city and they seemed to be heading for the harbour. Rowan overheard them talking about the Kraang. There were pieces of Kraang tech seen nearby as well as a few Kraang"

Ebony smirks and nods her thanks. Finally, something better to do other than sitting around on a cold roof all night in the wind and waiting for something to happen. She picks up Imogen and takes a short running leap off the roof. Twisting her body in midair, Ebony sticks the landing and takes off running. Her feet pound the concrete as she runs tirelessly towards the east harbour from the western part of the city, jumping over the gaps between buildings. Taking the most direct route, it would only take her 7 minutes maximum for her to reach her destination.

Ebony sighs, wondering how many more challenges she would face before she finally lost her mind or her life, the chance of finding a guy who could help her stabilise her mind and life being way too small for her to dare hope. She'd never had much luck in her life anyway.

Imogen's low growl snapped Ebony out of her thoughts, bringing her attention to the four individuals running across a roof 600 metres away. They were definitely heading for the harbour, but why? Ebony watches them for a moment then follows at a distance, her sharp eyesight more than making up for the distance.

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	2. Chapter 2 - Old Enemy, New Ally

**I should warn you that I'm terrible with fight scenes and that this one is a little over twice the length of the first at 2,654 words vs. 1,139 words. I do not own the TMNT that right belongs to Nick, I only own the oc's in this story**

Following at a safe distance, the dark furred feline frowns in confusion at what she hears. The four she was following seemed to be arguing as they ran across the rooftops, not seeming to care if a human hears them. Part of the feisty teen wanted to shut them up while another part wanted them to keep talking. What better way to find out what the four mutant turtles were up to. By carrying Imogen with her strong prehensile tail, she kept her hands free.

The four brothers come to a stop on a rooftop just before they reached the harbour and began to talk. Sneaking closer, the invisible observer peeks over the edge of the rooftop, using her claws to cling to the brick wall. The red masked hot-head, Raphael started to argue with the blue masked leader, Leonardo. The purple masked genius, Donatello and the orange masked wild one, Michelangelo watch on in temporary silence. The feline mutant doesn't pay close attention until she hears Raphael mention the Kraang. That really got her attention.

Raphael "What makes you so sure you're plan is gonna work Leo?"

Leonardo "Trust me Raph, it's going to work"

Donatello "Actually, first we need to find the location of the entrance before we can even carry out your plan Leo"

Michelangelo "Maybe we could ask someone to help us?"

Leonardo "And just where are we going to find someone who knows anything about the Kraang and won't try to kill us or freak out, Mikey?"

Michelangelo "Um, maybe over there?"

Mikey unknowingly points in Ebony's direction, causing all four of the turtle brothers to look where he was pointing and see Ebony peering over the lip of the roof. Ebony's eyes widen, shocked that she had just been seen. She launches herself off the wall and does a back flip to land lightly on her feet on the rooftop of the neighbouring house.

Raphael "Where do you think you're going! Get back here you!"

Leonardo "Raph..."

Hot-headed Raphael charges at Ebony before Leo could finish his sentence. Leaping the 3-4 metre gap that separated the two buildings, Raph takes out his twin sai and lunges at Ebony, a huge mistake which he realised way too late. Leo, Donnie and Mikey decide watch since Raph seemed likely to win. Ebony lets Imogen jump out of her arms and out of harm's way.

Ebony calmly sidesteps Raph's lunge with incredible speed, her hands clasped behind her back. Raph looks at her over his shoulder in surprise, turning to face her. She watches his every move with a calm indifference which the impulsive hot-head found insulting. He lunges at her again, using a different technique. Ebony calmly twists and sidesteps his attack with a grace that made Raph look like a clumsy oaf.

Ebony's apathy was starting to infuriate Raph. He was falling for her simple trick. She was waiting for him to get so worked up that he wears himself out, while she isn't even short of breath in the slightest. Finally she deems that he has worn himself out enough. In a blaze of speed Ebony whirls, sweeping Raph off his feet with her long, powerful tail.

A moment that he hits the ground, she's after him, aiming a mighty punch. Raph only just manages to roll out of the way as Ebony's fist hits the concrete, causing it to crack. The eyes of Raph's three brothers widen at such strength. They had no clue that Ebony was going easy on Raph, testing his skills. Raph scrambles to his feet and steps back out of Ebony's range, trying to get his head back into focus.

Ebony doesn't give him a chance and lands a formidable punch in his stomach, sending the mutant turtle flying into a nearby wall. She watches the panting ninja, waiting to see if he would have another go at her. When he makes no move to get up, Leo, Donnie and Mikey run over to their injured brother. Mikey looks at Raph then whirls to face Ebony.

Michelangelo "No one beats up my brother and gets away with it"

Ebony "Seriously Mikey? He attacked me, so I defended myself"

Michelangelo "How do you know my name?!"

Ebony "That is easy enough to figure out since you guys aren't exactly quiet. I've heard you four going off at each other often enough to know your names. Also, what kind of information about the Kraang are you after?"

Donatello "You know about the Kraang?"

Ebony "Know about them? I hate them. I've been fighting those freaky aliens for years"

Michelangelo "That means you must know a lot about them! Can you help us out?"

Raphael "Mikey!"

Michelangelo "What? She might be able to help us?"

Ebony "I've been in and out of many of their hideouts without being detected"

Michelangelo "See?"

Leonardo "How do we know you won't turn on us?"

Ebony "I only fight my enemies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. As long as you four don't turn on me, I won't turn on you"

Leonardo "Fine"

Ebony "What are you after?"

Leonardo "We suspect the Kraang are going to invade soon. We want to get in and sabotage the invasion before it even happens"

Ebony nods and leads the way to the nearest Kraang hideout. Leo and Donnie help Raph to his feet and follow Mikey and Ebony. Mikey kept glancing at Ebony, curious about how she much she knows about the Kraang. The feline mutant ignores Mikey, gently picking up Imogen with her tail.

Michelangelo "Aw kitty"

Ebony hides a faint smile at Mikey's tone. The shortest turtle was obviously a cat lover. She lets the silver tabby cat climb up onto her shoulders and drape herself around Ebony's neck like a scarf. The warmth from Imogen's body helped her ignore the cool wind. Mikey wracks his brain for something to say to help ease the silence and learn more about their possible new ally.

Michelangelo "You must love cats. What's your name anyway?"

Ebony "Cats have been among my few companions for most of my life. I have more than one name but I prefer to be called Ebony"

Michelangelo "Why do you have more than one name?"

Ebony "A cat naming tradition. I gave myself the name Ebony so any none cats who end up knowing my name don't have to ask where I got my other names from"

Michelangelo "What is a cat naming tradition"

Ebony "Cats believe they have three names. The heart name, the face name and the tail name"

Michelangelo "Wow. How do you get the names?"

Ebony "The kitten's mother gives the heart name and only the siblings and special friends can know that name. The face name is given by the elders at a naming ceremony and some special cats find out their tail name while most die without knowing it"

Donatello "That's interesting. I had no idea cats have traditions like that. How do you know all this?"

Ebony "I am fluent in the language of cats and spent the first few years of my life believing I was just a cat, albeit a mutant one"

Michelangelo "How where you mutated?"

Ebony "You ask a lot of questions. I'll tell you more in time. Just be patient"

Michelangelo "Aww ok"

Ebony glances at Mikey, amused by his childish nature. Imogen watches the orange masked turtle with lazy eyes. Raph glares at Ebony, angry that he lost and to a girl at that. Leo found Ebony's willingness to answer most of Mikey's questions strange. None of the scarce number of individuals they have met so far has been so open, especially straight after a fight. Raph had regained at least half of his strength and could walk on his own by then. Donnie was curious as to her choice of words when she answered his question.

Donatello {She believed that she was just a cat for the first few years of her life? What does she mean by that? Who or what is she exactly?}

Michelangelo "What are those odd shaped blades attached to your belt?"

Ebony "I think I've told you enough for now. We have reached the Kraang hideout"

Raphael "Where is it then?"

Ebony looks at an innocent looking old warehouse and points to it. Nothing about it seemed Kraang like in the slightest. All the windows were boarded up and it looked completely abandoned.

Raphael "Are you serious? That's just an old warehouse. It looks like no one has been inside that place for years"

Ebony "I was inside that warehouse 8 months ago. I know for a fact that it is a secret Kraang facility"

Leonardo "Are there any security cameras?"

Ebony "None outside that I know of. The Kraang believe that the derelict look is enough of a deterrent. I suggest you watch where you step when we're inside. The floor is very unstable in places"

Leonardo "Thanks for the warning"

Raphael grumbles under his breath as Ebony jumps down from the rooftop and walks over to the door. Mikey and his brothers follow close behind, Raph coming last. Donnie takes a look at the various locks on the door.

Donnie "These are complicated locks. It might take a little while to unlock them"

Raphael "Out of the way Donnie"

Raph shoves Donnie aside and goes to kick the door in. He is quickly stopped by a strong furry hand pulling him backwards by the shoulder. Ebony shakes her head and pushes Raph out of the way.

Ebony "You will set off the alarm doing that. I'll unlock the door"

Raphael "And just how are you going to do that?

Raph scowls at her as she kneels and doesn't reply. The eyes of the four brothers widen as Ebony unsheathes her long, curved claws. With careful precision, she quickly opens the door without setting off any alarms. She stands up and strolls inside, pushing the door wide open. Ebony casually glances at the floor throughout the area and starts to walk, the turtles close behind. Thanks to her amazing eyesight, Ebony could easily tell where it was safe to walk, and where it wasn't.

She leads them straight to a set of floor to ceiling shelves, much to Raph's annoyance. She ignores Raph's muttering and presses a small, inconspicuous button on a control panel in the wall. A hidden door in one of the inner walls slides open with a whoosh of air. Ebony looks at the opening and hesitates, the fur on the back of her neck tingling and the fur along her tail rising. The turtles start to walk towards the opening.

Ebony "Stop! Something's not right. Look at my tail"

The turtles look at her long tail. The long soft fur was standing up on end, making it look three times thicker. Ebony looks around, trying to figure out what was wrong. She had a feeling that they were in big trouble. Many Kraang walk through the open door with laser guns in their hands as more appear behind them.

Kraang1 "The ones known as the Turtles have been captured and will be exterminated shortly"

Kraang2 "Kraang, the ones known as the Turtles are with the one known as the Half-Blood"

Kraang1 "I have knowledge of that, Kraang"

Ebony "Will you shut up already! You Kraang drive me mad with the way you talk"

Ebony launches her high-speed attack before any of the Kraang could answer, not wanting to hear another word from them. To say the least, the fight was short lived. Ebony and the turtles were skilled fighters but they were vastly outnumbered and occasionally got in each other's way as Ebony wasn't used to fighting in a group.

In a moment of pure bad luck, Mikey is forced further and further away from his brothers' help and Imogen gets separated from Ebony. Leo, Raph, Donnie and Ebony realise too late. The Kraang had taken them both for unknown reasons.

Ebony loses her focus for only a moment. She suddenly feels a sharp pain in the back of her head before she is swallowed up by darkness. Dark shadows flicker across the darker blackness that filled her mind. Long buried memories whisper in her ear and flash before her eyes, memories she had tried so hard to forget.

At long last, the haunting memories and inky blackness began to fade, the silence slowly being replaced by jabbering voices. Ebony tries to make sense of the babble but finds that no matter how hard she tries, she just can't make her ears hear properly. All she could tell was that there were three different voices, all three were male and that they were oddly familiar.

Giving up on her attempt to listen, she decides to have a go at taking a look at the source of the noise. Ebony struggles to lift or even move her head, let alone any other part of her body. Even her long tail was unresponsive. Exhausted, she gives in to the darkness that hovered at the fringes of her vision and slips back into unconsciousness.

This time no haunting memories troubled her as her few happy memories take their place. When Ebony wakes again, her vision and hearing were marginally clearer. A strange tightness was wrapped around her head, making it hard to think and causing the pain in the back of her head feel worse. Her stiff arms press the palms of her hands against the rough cold concrete and slowly lift her upper body off the ground. She drags her knees forward one at a time till she is on her hands and knees, her head and tail hanging.

With a lot of effort and care, she pushes herself up into a kneeling position. A change in the male voices indicates that her attempt to get up had been noticed. Weary arms start to lift her numb hands up to her head. Clumsy hands feel the tight bandage encompassing her head. Gathering her abating strength, she unsheathes one of her long sharp claws and rips the bandage.

The relief from the pressure was instantaneous, allowing her to remove the bandage from around her head with less difficulty. As she removes it, she feels a twinge of pain and looks at the bandage. Dried blood caked part of it and a little fresh blood was present. Ebony could detect the smell of fresh blood and feel something thick and warm slowly beginning to run down the back of her head.

Someone green moves into her field of vision and gently tries to stop her, going on about something in a concerned tone. Shrugging the green, three fingered hand off her shoulder; Ebony waves her hands at she believed was the guys' faces in an effort to get them to shut up. All the incoherent babbling was very distracting and was making her head hurt even more.

They seem to get the message and stop talking. Ebony sighs in relief and focuses what little strength she had left in one place, the left side of her body where the cat head shaped mark in her fur was. Closing her eyes, she draws on a special reserve of strength she always leaves untouched for just this kind of situation.

The cat mark on her side begins to glow, the strengthening light beginning shine through her thin, worn shirt. Ebony opens her pink flecked, violet eyes to reveal that they too were glowing. Both her eyes and the mark on her side were emitting a soft white glow. The three males watch on in shock as all of the blood on the back of her head and neck began to vanish. To add to their shock, the bleeding wound on the back of her head began to heal with incredible speed. Within a minute, Ebony was completely healed.

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	3. Chapter 3 - A plan and a dream

**I don't own the TMNT that right belongs to Nick, I only own the oc's in this story**

The fluffy feline mutant shakes her head to clear it as she kneels on the concrete, then looks up into angry green eyes. Raph was glaring at her, barely controlling his anger. Movement behind his left shoulder attracted her attention to Leo. The dark blue eyed older brother pulls the fuming hot-head away from her.

Leonardo "Enough Raph. It wasn't her fault that Mikey got taken"

Raphael "She was the one who led us there in the first place! She could have done something!"

Ebony "You think I planned this?! They took Imogen! She has an owner who will be worried sick if she isn't back home by morning. Oh and FYI, it's kinda impossible to be in two places at once, Raph. I was busy watching your back as well as Leo's at the same time that I was protecting myself and Imogen. I was about to go after the Kraang that grabbed Mikey when Imogen was grabbed. I lost my focus for only a moment then WHAM! I'm out cold, swallowed up by darkness"

Raph was taken by surprise by her angry remark. Now that he thought about it, no Kraang came at him from behind. He thought nothing of it at the time but now that kind of makes sense. Ebony was just about fuming.

Raphael "How do I know you aren't lying?"

Donatello "I saw her, Raph. She's telling the truth"

Ebony nods at Donnie in thanks, her anger dissipating. She looks at Raph, whose anger had deflated. He stares at the concrete beneath their feet, his green eyes flicking back and forth nervously. Ebony shakes her head and looks around. Confused, she turns to the three guys.

Ebony "How did I even get here?"

Donatello "Leo and I carried you. We couldn't just leave you there"

Ebony "Thanks. I guess I owe you my life"

Ebony is suddenly overcome by dizziness, staggering sideways a few steps. Feeling light headed, she gently presses one hand against her furry forehead and closes her eyes. Worry nagged at the three brothers, despite their lack of trust in her.

Donatello "Are you ok?"

Ebony "Yeah. It's just a side effect of my ability to heal so quickly. It will pass soon"

She waits a minute for it to pass then looks around, suddenly serious. It only took a matter of moments before she knew exactly where they were. Ebony's quick mind starts to formulate a plan.

Leonardo "What are you doing?"

Ebony "Shh, I'm thinking"

Raphael "How is that going to save Mikey?"

Ebony "I'm trying to think of a plan to rescue him from the Kraang and all your noise is making that difficult. So SHUT UP!"

Raph immediately shuts up, completely unlike himself. Ebony is a powerful ally but a deadly enemy. Something in her tone made it clear that if he ever wants to see his brother again, he should do as she tells him to without question. Ebony glares at Raph for a minute then closes her eyes.

The moisture she had detected in the air earlier was still present, but seemed different. It seemed heavier in a way, more ominous. It could only mean heavy rain or even a storm. Taking that factor into account, a solid yet flexible plan starts to take shape. Ebony smirks, knowing that the chance of failure is low. That is, unless one of the guys messes things up. Ebony looks at the three turtles, her expression unreadable.

Ebony "I've got a plan. If nothing goes wrong, it will work"

Raphael "How are you so sure?"

Ebony "I just am. I've figured out what went wrong before as well. They must have put in some new security cameras since last time I broke in, but it'll be easy enough to get past them. Here's my plan"

Ebony scratches out the layout of the Kraang hideout in the concrete with a claw, telling them what each room was for. With several levels, she only went into detail with the levels that they needed to know about. She quickly describes what each would have to do for it to work, pointing out safe routes. When she is done she looks at the three and asks if they understand. The three brothers nod.

Ebony grins toothily and stands up. At 183cm or 6 foot tall, she is taller than the turtles, even Donnie who is the tallest of the brothers and stands 177cm or 5'8 tall. Donnie wasn't used to looking up at anyone except for Master Splinter, their 'father' and teacher.

Ebony "I'll meet you three in two hours. Don't forget anything"

The four teenagers separate, running off in two different directions. Their feet pounding the ground and their minds on one thing, rescuing Mikey and Imogen. The incoming storm sent cold winds ahead, as if in warning of its approach.

Two hours have passed and the storm has just started. Ebony crouches inside an empty shipping container, one door kept open by a good sized rock wedged between the bottom of the door and the door frame. The fluffy teen has been waiting for 15 minutes and her legs are starting to cramp up from crouching for so long. Pressing her back against the side of the shipping container, Ebony sits down and stretches her legs out in front of her.

With the cramp eased, she pulls her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around them. The metal against her back was cold, keeping her from falling asleep. It wasn't long before her body heat warmed up the metal though. Her eyelids slowly become heavy and sleep was hard to resist. Ebony closes her eyes and dozes off with a sigh, briefly wondering where the turtles are.

A flurry of snow blinds her as she wades through shin deep snow. Freezing wind whirls and howls around her. Glancing around, she sees a scattering of trees through the blinding snow. Turning towards a gnarled tree that seemed to beckon her, she tries to force her way to its scant protection though the driving wind. Reaching it, she moves behind the tree and out of the icy wind. Leaning against the weather-beaten tree, she tries to figure out where she was.

Her fading strength was making it increasingly difficult. It was as if something was sapping the energy right out of her, draining away her strength. Leaving the meagre protection of the old tree, she continues to struggle onwards. With no idea where she was going or what was attracting her, all she could do was trust her instincts and follow them wherever they lead her.

On and on she plods and stumbles, getting weaker with every step. Eventually she could stay upright no longer and collapses onto the snow covered ground. Opening her eyes, she was suddenly watching herself from above. Movement in the corner of her eye causes her to look up. A strange figure was heading towards the semi-conscious Ebony on the ground below her. Swirling snow blurred her vision, preventing her from seeing much of the stranger. All she could tell was that the stranger picked the other Ebony up just before she passed out.

Ebony was suddenly surrounded by swirling snow, blinding her. Raising an arm to protect her face, she suddenly found herself back inside the metal shipping container. She had never really left it as it had only been a dream. Her large ears prick up at the sound of voices, close by too. She tenses up, expecting trouble.

She instantly relaxes when she recognises Leo, Donnie and Raph's voices. Checking her watch, she had been asleep for about half an hour. They were late, or she fell asleep just before they arrived. Sudden silence fell when they noticed that she was awake.

Leonardo "Ebony's awake"

Raphael "About time you woke up. Enjoy your catnap?"

Ebony scowls at Raph's mocking tone. Her soft menacing growl shut him up almost instantly.

Ebony "I fell asleep because I've been working until the early hours of the morning for days on end now. You try staying awake when you go to bed at 3-4am and get up at 7am for 5 days straight!"

Ebony was suffering from lack of sleep, which was making her way more short-tempered than usual. Her brief catnap had reminded her body just how little sleep she had gotten over the past 5 days, as well as how exhausted she was becoming.

Ebony {When I get home, I'm going to go straight to bed and sleep for a whole day}

Ebony "Are you three ready?"

The three turtles nod, causing Ebony to grin and stand up. The chilly wind whistles and rain could be heard pattering on metal and concrete outside. Ebony pricks up her large ears and strolls over to the door. She could sense that the rain was going to get heavier, and soon.

Ebony shoves open the heavy metal door and strides out into the rain. The brothers glance at each other, knowing that cats absolutely hate water and yet she didn't seem to care if she gets soaked or not. They hesitate a few moments then quickly follow her out into the deluge.

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	4. Chapter 4 - Rescue and a Breakout

**I do not own the TMNT that right belongs to Nick, I only own the oc's in this story**

Rain pours from the dark clouds overhead, slowly getting heavier. A flash of distant lightning lights up the sky for a brief moment, closely followed by rumbling thunder a minute later. The beginning of a storm that seemed perfectly timed.

Four wet individuals stand on a rooftop in the pouring rain. The tallest was female and a feline, the other three were male and turtles. The three turtles look at the feline. Knowing her only as Ebony, they didn't know much about her but the rescue of their youngest brother more or less depended on her help.

Red-masked hot-head, Raphael, was starting to get a little impatient. Standing out in the full force of the rain was not what he expected. He would never admit it to anyone but, he was starting to be afraid of Ebony. The ease in which she defeated him earlier when he impulsively attacked her still stunned him. Who knows what she is capable of?

Ebony grunts softly and makes a series of small sharp sounds, earning her odd looks from the guys. Small dark shapes began moving around on the old warehouse they were looking at. Looking through his telescope, Leo could see that the small dark shapes were in fact rats. The rats seemed to be moving in a coordinated manner. For a moment, Leo thought that the Rat King was controlling them but a glance at Ebony scattered that thought. She was smirking, as if she had planned this.

Leonardo "Why are you smirking like that Ebony?"

Ebony "Didn't I say that cats have been among my few companions for most of my life? Rats have also been companions of mine"

Donatello "But don't cats hunt or rather hate rats?"

Ebony "That is just a stereotype. Not all cats hate or hunt rats, especially this cat. They can be very useful at times"

Donnie looks at her then nods. The drenched feline watches as the rats swarm around the cameras. With the cameras taken care of, Ebony jumps down from the rooftop with the three turtles close behind. One glance told her that the locks had been changed and would take ages to unlock from outside. A vent caught Ebony's attention.

Ebony "I'm going to need a lift"

The turtles look at her in confusion, only to step back in surprise. Ebony began to shrink, morphing into an ordinary cat. Once the morph was complete, she looks up at them then saunters over to the wall to stand under the vent. Glancing back at the shocked turtles, Ebony meows and stands on her hind paws with her forepaws on the wall. Donnie understands what she meant first and walks over to her. He gently picks her up and looks at his brothers.

Donatello "Are you two going to help me get her into that vent or are you going to stand around like idiots?"

They nod and walk over to Donnie. Standing facing each other under the vent, Leo and Raph link hands to help Donnie reach the vent. Stepping onto his brothers' hands, Donnie could now reach the vent. It only took a few seconds to get the vent open and even less time for Ebony to disappear into it. Donnie gets down and looks at his brothers.

A few minutes pass and nothing happens. Silently, the door opens. The three brothers look at the door cautiously. They sigh in relief when a damp Ebony appears, motioning for them to hurry. Slipping inside, the guys follow her to the control panel in the wall. Pressing the small, inconspicuous button, Ebony hopes the Kraang were oblivious and were stupid enough to assume that they wouldn't attempt a rescue so soon. No Kraang appeared this time and she exhales softly in relief. Ebony leads the way through the hidden door and down a corridor, passing doors and other corridors. She soon stops and looks at the turtles.

Ebony "Here is where we split up. You all remember what to do?"

The three guys nod and the four teens split up. Ebony sneaks down one corridor alone, while the guys head off down another. From there, the turtles search for the holding cells. Once they found them, they began looking for Mikey and Imogen. Raph found Mikey and Leo found Imogen.

Michelangelo "I'm so glad to see you guys! Uh, where is Ebony?"

Leonardo "She's carrying out her part of the plan"

Michelangelo "What plan?"

Raphael "To rescue you obviously"

Meanwhile, Ebony had started hacking into the system. It didn't take her long to get in. A crackling sound came from the walkie-talkie attached to her belt.

Donatello "Come in Ebony. Are you there?"

Ebony "I'm here Donnie. Have you found them?"

Donatello "We have. They are in the 'section 8' holding cells"

Ebony "Unlocking section 8 holding cells now"

Ebony quickly taps in the command code, opening all of the section 8 cells. Mikey leaps out of his cell as soon as it was open; overjoyed to be free. Imogen was more restrained, sauntering out of her cell casually. Donnie nearly drops his walkie-talkie when it crackles to life and a Kraang voice come out of it.

'Kraang' "The one known as the Half-Blood has been disintegrated. The ones known as the Turtles shall surrender or be disintegrated as well"

The turtles cry out in fear, only to be interrupted by hysterical laughter. It was coming from both the walkie-talkie and nearby. It sounded a lot like someone they knew. Ebony appears around the corner laughing, walkie-talkie in hand.

Ebony "Ha ha! I got you good! Oh, the look on your faces! I just couldn't resist"

Michelangelo "That was you Ebony? I didn't know you were a prankster"

Ebony "Why wouldn't I be? I get bored sometimes and pulling pranks is the easiest way to entertain myself"

Donatello "Yeah, and freak us out. That was an accurate impersonation of the Kraang"

Ebony "I've had to listen to their babble for ages. Mimicking others is easy"

Raphael "Prove it then"

Ebony grins and clears her throat. She alters her voice to sound just like Raph.

Ebony "How is this? Or should I talk like you as well?"

Raph's mouth drops open. Ebony smirks and looks around. When she speaks again, she sounds like herself.

Ebony "We should get out of here. I have a feeling that escape will become near impossible soon"

She scoops up Imogen and races for the way out, closely followed by the turtles. Long story short, they made it out without being seen. Running out into the rain, they realised just how heavy it had gotten since they went in. Lightning flashes and thunder booms over head as they jump up to a nearby rooftop. Mikey turns to the others.

Michelangelo "Thanks for rescuing me you guys"

Ebony nods and hands Donnie four Kraang data storage device. Donnie looks at them then at the tall feline.

Ebony "I figured you were after data so I copied as much as I could onto those"

Donatello "Wow thanks Ebony"

Ebony "No problem. See you four later"

Ebony turns and runs off into the storm, Imogen in her arms. The four brothers look at each other then head back to their lair in the sewers. Ebony drops Imogen off at her owners house then runs to the rundown house she called home.

Back at the Kraang base...

Inside the last section 8 cells, a pair of luminecent eyes opens. A large dark creature gets to its paws and pads silently to the open door. Growling softly, it sniffs the air. Six unknown scents draw the powerful creature out. One of the six scents attracted it, seemingly familiar in a way.

Placing one heavy paw after the other, it follows the scent outside, not caring if it was seen. Rain splattered the dark muzzle as it left the Kraang base. Lifting its heavy head, it roared into the night; drowned out by a boom of thunder. With a snarl, it set off, following the scent that diverged from the others until it was washed away by the rain. Roaring in frustration, the creature sought out a place to shelter from the storm.

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	5. Chapter 5 - Lost and Found

**I do not own the TMNT that right belongs to Nick, I only own the oc's in this story**

A month has passed since Ebony helped the turtles rescue Mikey and Imogen from the Kraang. One whole month and winter has begun with the first snowfall almost a week ago. Normally Ebony absolutely loves snow, but this time is different.

Ebony sits on the two mattresses she calls her bed, frowning. She could feel a familiar feeling in her chest, slowly spreading to the rest of her body. Ebony knows what it means all too well. She will get increasingly restless until she can't take it anymore and snaps. It is a dangerous side-effect of her unstable mind and life, but she can't do anything about it. To make matters worse, she has caught a virus or something and a bad snow storm is on its way.

Ebony leaps to her feet and paces back and forth, looking around her bedroom. The only furniture is the small chest of draws that houses her hand-made clothes, the large bookshelf filled with various books and a few trinkets, the shelves lining the walls and her two mattresses, stacked one on top of the other. Wooden carvings and various trinkets she has discovered or made over the years lines the shelves and the top of the draws in an orderly fashion.

Hours pass by, the odd feeling growing stronger and spreading further. Any minute now it will become too much for her to cope with, and she will snap. When Ebony snaps, she goes feral and is at the mercy of her most animalistic instincts. She has absolutely no control over what she does and barely remembers anything about what happened when it finally wears off.

Not wanting to break anything in her bedroom, Ebony heads downstairs to the lounge. A tightness in her chest starts to grow, and keeps on growing until she snaps. With a roar of anger she jumps out the open window and runs off into the night. Her feet pound the snow covered ground as she slips further and further into feral mode.

The snow storm chilled her to the bone even though she had found shelter, as meagre as it was. She runs on and on, her feet pounding the ground. With no idea where she was or where she was going, Ebony was running blind. All she was aware of is a vague passing of time and dramatic changes in the landscape around her.

On the 9th sunrise, Ebony was weak from sleep deprivation, exhaustion, hunger and dehydration. The fact she was sick when she left home made things worse. She was desperately ill, her strength fading away. A strange noise greets her ears on the day of the 10th sunrise. Too weak to stand any longer, she collapses onto her hands and knees in the snow. Ebony lifts her head slightly and looks through hazy eyes at her surroundings. Snow gently starts to fall again, blurring sight and sound.

With a sigh of exhaustion, she lies down on the snow covered grass beneath her, out in the open and completely defenceless. Ebony begins to slip into unconsciousness as a tall figure emerges through the drifting snow and comes towards her. Unable to stay awake any longer, she gives in to the cold darkness. Strong hands lift her up and carry her away just before she loses consciousness completely.

An unknown length of time passes before Ebony starts to awaken. She mumbles softly as she starts to wake up, lying on her side. Even with her eyes closed and still being half asleep, she could tell that she was inside somewhere, the warmth, lack of a breeze and something about the smell told her that much. She could feel a soft blanket beneath her and something else beneath that. Moving slightly, she discovered that someone had placed another blanket over her and something warm was pressed up against her back.

As she began to wake up fully, she realised that it wasn't something, but someone. Whoever they were mumbled in their sleep and wrapped a warm arm around her waist, pulling her closer and causing weird feelings to stir in Ebony's chest. Warm breath tickled the back of her neck as they slept on. Now fully awake, Ebony opens her eyes and looks around as much as she could without moving her head.

She was inside a barn from what she could tell, a low roofed one or she was up in the hayloft. The latter seemed right as she discovered that she lying amidst a huge pile of hay. This can only mean that she was in a rural area somewhere. Turning her attention to the individual pressed up against her back, she tries to figure out who it was. Even identifying the individual's gender would be enough for now.

Paying close attention to what she could feel against her back, it quickly became obvious to her that the individual was male. The flat, well muscled chest and what she guessed were broad shoulders revealed that fact. Something else kept nagging at her though. From what little she could remember she knew she had been very sick and weak when she collapsed and she had seen a figure moving towards her as the blackness had closed in.

She was guessing that the figure was the guy sleeping beside or rather behind her, his chest pressed against her back. Why would a human do all this for her? She was warm, comfortable, and she wasn't quite as thirsty as she had been. She was definitely still sick though, weak too.

Ebony carefully moves her hand till she could feel the arm wrapped around her waist. It was furry, just like she was. She hadn't been saved by a human at all; she had been saved by a furry mutant like herself. Relaxing slightly, she gives in to the exhaustion she already felt, proof of just how weak she had become. Slipping back to sleep, Ebony briefly wonders where she was and why he had saved her.

An hour passes before Ebony's saviour awakens from his deep sleep. Lying still with his eyes closed, he could feel the rise and fall of Ebony's belly as she breathed. He suddenly realised that it was morning. He had fallen asleep in the hayloft by accident the night before when he came up to check on her.

His name is Keith Meadowbrook, a Border collie mutant. Born a farm dog, he had only been a puppy when he was mutated. By sheer luck, the kind human couple that owned the farm weren't too freaked out by his mutation, seeing a scared little puppy instead of a freak. Now 18 years old, he is no longer a youngster but a well grown teen.

Keith couldn't help but smile at the feel of Ebony's body against him. Her athletic build told him that she is very strong. She wasn't bad looking either. Lifting himself up onto his elbow, he looks at her sleeping face. To him, she is beautiful. Her muzzle wasn't too long or too wide, her eyes were perfectly placed and ever so slightly angled, her mouth was well shaped and her lips were just a little on the thin side.

He moves his arm around her waist downwards slightly and notices the slight weight of her hand on his arm. Looking at her again, he could see that she had woken up at some point in the night. Obviously wondering where she was and who was sleeping with their arm around her waist. He smiles at her sleeping face and resists the temptation to press his lips against her soft cheek.

Keith gently moves his hand back where it was, feeling soft fur beneath his hand instead of fabric. He suddenly blushes bright red, realising that his hand had accidentally slipped beneath her shirt. Quickly glancing at her face, Keith sighs softly in relief that she was still asleep.

The sound of Ebony's stomach rumbling as she slept announced her hunger. He carefully moves away from the sleeping feline and stands up. Stopping to gaze at her for a moment, he heads for the ladder that leads down from the hayloft. No doubt, she'll be ravenous. He doesn't know how long it has been since her last proper meal but from the sound of it, it has been a while.

Creeping down the ladder, he glances at the stirring animals in their stalls. Various coloured horses sleepily lift their heads, ewes baa softly at him, and pigs snuffle drowsily. The rest of the animals were in sheltered paddocks nearby. He pauses briefly to greet the few that stretched their noses out to him before heading outside into the cold.

Trudging through the ankle deep snow, he was buffeted this way and that by freezing wind before he finally made it to the front door. Quickly stepping inside, the warmth replaced the chill that had been threatening to seep into his bones. A middle aged woman watches him from beside the fireplace, one eyebrow raised quizzically.

Keith looks up from the wooden floor and sees her. Smiling nervously, he walks over to her. There was no sign of her husband as it was still early and the weather made going outside to work suicide. The woman's greying hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail. Her wrinkled skin gave the impression of wisdom, instead of age.

Keith "Oh, good morning Jenny. I'm so sorry I didn't come back inside last night. I fell asleep in the hayloft while I was checking up on her"

Jenny "I thought as much young man. You check up on her every few hours just as you do with every animal that falls ill. How is the girl doing any way?"

Keith "Better. I think she woke up at some point last night. Her hand was on my arm and she had moved. She might wake up again soon so I thought I'd grab her some breakfast. You should have heard the noise her stomach was making"

Jenny smiles at the enthusiastic young man and moves towards for the kitchen, amused by Keith's excited tone. The teenage feline girl he had found passed out in the snow nearly a week earlier had an effect on the teenage boy. No doubt he found her attractive. Just who she is and where she came from is still a mystery. Her worn clothes were unlike any Jenny had ever seen and appeared expertly hand-made.

Jenny "I better get breakfast ready then. I hope she likes bacon and waffles. Why don't you get her something to drink?"

Keith "Mm! Who wouldn't love your cooking?"

Keith was almost drooling already at the thought of breakfast. He grabs a flask from the cupboard and looks in the fridge. A cool drink always went well with Jenny's cooking. Finding some home-made fruit juice he pours some into the flask then dilutes it slightly with some cool water.

He waits patiently for the waffles and bacon to be done, then places them in a container that would retain their heat, grabs the flask then hurries back out to the barn. Holding the container and flask close, he plods through the snow until he reaches the barn door. Slipping inside, he sighs in relief. Now all he had to do was get up to the hayloft without dropping anything.

Tucking the container under his arm that was holding the flask, he climbs up the ladder. Standing up in the hayloft, he senses eyes watching him. Looking up and towards where he had left the girl, he saw a pair of beautiful, pink flecked, violet eyes watching him warily. She was wide awake, and staring at him.

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	6. Chapter 6 - A New Friend

**I do not own the TMNT that right belongs to Nick, I only own the oc's in this story**

Keith inhales sharply, amazed by her eyes. Their unusual colour was striking enough on its own, but just how vivid they were was breathtaking. His own eyes were a light blue and almost dull in comparison.

The wary caution in her eyes reminded him that she was confused, possibly a little scared and that his staring won't be helping. Lowering his eyes, he assumes a more submissive posture to hopefully put her at ease. The slight sideways tilting of her head and her sitting up showed that it was a step in the right direction. Keith starts to speak in a soft voice.

Keith "Hey, I'm glad you're awake. My name is Keith. I don't want to hurt you. I found you out in the snow and brought you here. Oh, and I brought you some breakfast and something to drink"

Keith slowly approaches her but stops and kneels a safe distance from her. He offers her the flask and the container of food, his head low to show he wasn't a threat to her. Slowly reaching out first one then both hands, she gently takes them. She was a little surprised when he backed away once she had taken them, giving her plenty of space.

She opens the flask and pours some into the flask's lid which doubled as a cup. The feline slackens her thirst before opening the container, her mouth watering when she gets a whiff of the contents. Her hunger was all too obvious from the way she wolfed Jenny's bacon and waffles.

Her large ears prick up when she hears Keith's stomach rumble. Glancing at what was left, she lowers her ears in embarrassment. She had consumed over half of what he had brought. Watching Keith cautiously, she offers him the container and flask. He smiles gently at her as he takes it.

Keith "Thank you. Are you full or did you hear my stomach rumbling?"

She points at his belly without talking. Another grumbling complaint from Keith's stomach twitched the corners of her mouth into a ghost of a smile while he chuckles in amusement. He grins at her then tucks in.

She takes the opportunity to look at him properly. His light blue eyes and floppy ears were kinda cute. She knew that his fur was soft, but she was curious about his markings. He must be a blue merle border collie, judging from what she could see. His winter clothes hid all but his head, hands, tail and paw-like feet.

Looking at her own clothes, she saw how tattered and worn they were. Her clothes weren't torn when she left home, but now they were ripped beyond repair. By sheer luck they weren't ripped so much that they were indecent. Like her, he had hair-like fur on his head that hung half way to his shoulders. Her own hair-like fur hung to just below her shoulders now.

Having finished eating, Keith couldn't look away from her. Asleep, her face was peaceful and still. Awake, her face was animated and expressive. Her curiosity about him kept her from noticing that he was looking at her. Realising that his eyes were wandering away from her face, Keith looks away as a faint blush coloured his cheeks. The silent feline noticed him look away and wonders why he is blushing. Realising he didn't know her name, Keith looks at her.

Keith "I just realised that you know my name, but I don't know yours"

Feline "My name is Ebony"

Keith "Ebony is a nice name. It suits you"

Ebony smiles slightly. Keith was curious, wanting to know more but decided to let her tell him more when she was ready. Ebony already seemed exhausted, lying back on the blanket beneath her. Keith berates himself for not realising that she was far from full strength, having barely enough energy to stay awake more than a few minutes.

Keith "I'll let you sleep. I have animals to tend to. I'll be just below if you need me once I take these back to the house"

Ebony nods tiredly. Keith puts the lids back on the container and the flask and heads back down the ladder. He nearly forgot to zip his winter jacket back up before he shoved open the barn doors and stepped out into the freezing wind and snow. Meanwhile Ebony drifts off to sleep, not realising that she didn't have the blanket covering her and that Keith had unknowingly let cold air into the barn.

Keith wades through the deepening snow to the farmhouse, leaning into the icy wind. He was relieved when he finally reached the door and stepped inside, leaving the cold outside. Keith hears someone clear their throat and looks up. Jenny's husband was watching him with an eyebrow raised.

Keith "Morning John. I uh..."

John "Jenny already told me. Did you eat all of the bacon and waffles?"

Keith "No, she did. She was ravenous but left me some. She exhausted herself pretty quick but she was able to tell me her name. Ebony"

John nods as Jenny appears behind John, smiling.

Jenny "Then you'll want seconds then won't you?"

Keith "Mmm! Yes please!"

Jenny chuckles and walks to the kitchen while Keith and John talk about Ebony. The conversation turned to girls in general while they waited for Jenny to finish cooking. They only stopped talking when Jenny placed a plateful of waffles and bacon in front of each of them. She could help but laugh at the way they wolfed it down.

Keith couldn't resist licking the plate before grabbing his jacket and heading back outside to do his chores. The horses, sheep and pigs needed to be fed their breakfast. It usually took him about an hour or so to feed them all but today he did it in record time, just 40 minutes.

Keith was in the barn, giving his favourite horse some attention when he hears a strange noise coming from the hayloft. He rushes up the ladder to the hayloft, worried. He had every right to be as Ebony was shivering violently. Quite a bit of cold air had been let in as Keith had gone in and out of the barn, causing Ebony's body temperature to drop dangerously. If she gets any colder, she could die.

Keith takes his winter jacket off and lies down beside her to try warm her up, pulling the blanket over them. He wraps his arms around her and holds her close to him. Keith blushes as Ebony snuggles up close, her face against his chest. All he could do now was stay by her side and hope she survives.

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	7. Chapter 7 - Curiosity and the Cat

**I do not own the TMNT that right belongs to Nick, I only own the oc's in this story**

Much to poor Keith's dismay, Ebony only seemed to get worse. She woke up just long enough to eat and drink every day but her body was still weak. Unable to control her own body temperature, Keith had to constantly keep checking on her to make sure she didn't overheat or freeze. Spending most of her time asleep, Ebony put on a surprising 11 kilos over the next 3 weeks.

Early one frigid morning, 24 days after Ebony first woke up; Keith plods through the snow to the barn after spending the night in his own bed for a change. Pulling the collar of his snow jacket closed against the winter air, the Border collie looks at the snow covered, large classic red barn. Keith hoped Ebony had survived the night without him, the night before being far too cold to risk going out to check on her.

A few animals look at him as he slips inside the barn and climbs up the ladder to the hayloft. Keith nearly falls when he looks at the 'nest' in the hay that Ebony has occupied for a month. The blankets that had covered her were crumpled to one side, the snow jacket Keith had left just encase was missing and Ebony was gone!

Frantic, Keith scrambles down the ladder to look for any sign of the mutant feline. A faint scent that led out the barn door was all he could find. Pausing only to zip up his snow jacket, Keith slips out the barn door, pulling it closed behind him.

Looking around, Keith discovered footprints in the snow that he hadn't noticed before he went inside the barn. They were his only clue to where Ebony could have gone, prompting him to follow them. Keith couldn't help but be confused as the footprints led him to the farm's large pond which was completely frozen over.

Plodding closer through the deepening snow, he could see scratches and shallow gouges in the ice. He didn't have time to wonder what could have gone out on the ice. Suddenly, something erupted out of a snow drift right in front of Keith and pounced on him with a roar. He fell onto his back with a yelp, the creature pinning him down.

Keith tries to struggle for a moment but instantly stops when he hears purring. The fluffy creature hugging him was Ebony. He smiles happily at her, glad that she was OK. Ebony lifts her head from his chest and grins at him.

Ebony "I've got you now Keith! Thank you so much for saving me!"

Keith "It was nothing... now please... not so... tight... can't... breathe!"

Ebony instantly stops hugging him so tight, having forgotten her own strength in her enthusiasm. Despite not being back up to full strength yet, she could still do a lot of damage. Keith gasps for breath.

Ebony "I'm so sorry! I'm still weak and I thought I wouldn't hurt you"

Keith "You're... still... weak?! I don't... believe... that"

Ebony rolls them so he is lying on top of her so he could breathe easier. Keith slowly stops gasping for air as he catches his breath. He smiles at Ebony to reassure her that he is OK.

Keith "Wow you are strong"

Ebony giggles then smiles at him, relieved that he wasn't hurt. She rolls them over again so she was on top of him then sits on his belly, her hands on his chest. Keith looks up at her, blushing.

Ebony "I've spent a great deal of my time training, honing my body into peak physical condition"

Keith nods, speechless. His crush on Ebony grew stronger as she smiled down at him, completely trusting. Keith's intimate view of her made his heart race and caused him to blush bright red. Ebony giggles and swishes her long fluffy tail.

Ebony "You are so cute when you blush"

Ebony's casual comment only deepened his blush, making her giggle more. Keith was partially relieved when she eventually got off him and stood up. Ebony easily helped him onto his feet and looked up at him.

Keith stood 6 foot 3 to her 6 foot. Ebony was pleasantly surprised that he was 3 inches taller than her. He had known she was tall but until then, he couldn't tell how tall. Being reasonably similar in height, it wasn't hard for them to look each other in the eye.

Keith "Oh, you have to meet Jenny and John! They've been waiting ever since I brought you here"

Ebony "You mean ever since you saved my life. You go on ahead. I want to enjoy the snow a little longer"

Keith nods and heads for the farm house. Now that he thought about it, it was a good idea for Ebony to lag behind as John would possibly tease him gently about his crush on her. He glances back at her and smiles, seeing her goof off in the snow. He doesn't see her dive after something, catching it in her hands.

Keith almost runs inside in his excitement and tells Jenny and John about Ebony's disappearance and sudden reappearance. The couple look at each other cryptically, leaving Keith confused.

They all look towards the front door as Ebony walks in, carrying a small thin bird in her hands. Her gentleness and genuine concern for the little bird tugged at their heart strings. Ebony looks up at them from the bird.

Ebony "It fell out of the sky and nearly fell onto a rock. I caught it but it's cold and thin..."

Jenny "Bring it here"

Ebony walks over to Jenny and carefully hands her the bird. The elderly woman checks the bird over and mixes up a little moist warm bird feed for it. Setting it in a box in the hot water cupboard, Jenny turns to Ebony.

Jenny "With time and care, it should make a full recovery"

Ebony smiles in relief. She slowly relaxes in the elderly couple's presence as she learns more about them. No one noticed the passing of time until it was midday, almost 5 hours later.

Keith "Hey Ebony, would you like a tour of the farm?"

Ebony "I'd love that"

Jenny and John give each other cryptic looks as the two teens walk outside. After Ebony's tour, Keith talks Ebony into horseback riding. Her caution and hesitation were mainly because of her inexperience with horses. Keith smiles at her as he leads the quietest horse on the property over to the tack room from the paddock.

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	8. Chapter 8 - A wonderful Ride in the Snow

**I do not own the TMNT that right belongs to Nick, I only own the oc's in this story**

Keith looks over at Ebony; gently patting the bay Clydesdale gelding with white markings he had picked out of the herd and tied beside the tack room. The young feline mutant was unsure of the large horse. She had never seen a horse in real life before but she could tell just by looking at the gelding that horses are very powerful animals. The Border collie mutant smiles reassuringly at Ebony, sensing her apprehension.

Keith "This here is Cloud. He's the quietest horse we have. He's very sweet"

Ebony looks at him, biting her lip in hesitation. Keith walks to her side and puts a reassuring arm around her. Ebony looks up at him, letting him hold her. Keith looks at the gelding then at his fluffy crush. He blushes as Ebony leans against him, daring to wrap his other arm around her. She closes her eyes for a minute then looks up at him. Keith smiles softly at her as he lets go of her.

Keith "Want to help me saddle him up?"

Ebony "I'd love to"

Ebony smiles softly and follows him into the tack room. Keith gathers the gear and hands half to her as he goes. Curry comb, body brush, dandy brush, hoof pick, mane comb, saddle blanket, bridle, and reins. Ebony looks at the load of gear in surprise. She hadn't expected so much gear to be needed. Keith glances at her and sees her look.

Keith "We need to make sure Cloud is clean before we gear him up"

Ebony "Oh... so why do we need three brushes and a comb?"

Keith "Each has a specific use"

Ebony nods and follows him out of the tack room. Keith walks over to Cloud and began to show her what to do with the gear. He was pleasantly surprised by how fast she memorised everything he showed and explained to her Keith smiles then turns to Ebony.

Keith "Now you get up on his back but leave room for me to get on in front of you"

Ebony hesitates and looks down at her feet. When she looks back up, she looks into Keith's eyes as he smiles reassuringly at her. He helps her up onto Cloud's back and smiles at her. Ebony giggles and looks down at him from her new perspective. The Border collie chuckles slightly after having a random thought as he removes the halter and gets up on the geldings back in front of Ebony.

Keith "I'm going to guide him. You just enjoy the ride"

Ebony giggles and nods, wrapping her arms around his chest as Cloud started walking, causing Keith to blush. She soon gets used to the swaying walk of the big bay Clydesdale horse. Ebony quickly relaxed and leaned against Keith's back, enjoying the scenery too much to notice her affect on the canine.

As Keith holds the reins he starts to tell her everything he could think of about the farm, occasionally making her laugh. Ebony continues to hold onto him as they talk but soon her mind starts to drift to the turtles, wondering how they were doing and hoping everything is going OK back in New York. She was growing fond of them despite herself. The fluffy teen hears her name being called and looks up at Keith. She blushes, realising he had been talking to her.

Ebony "Oh sorry Keith, I spaced out for a moment there"

Keith "It's OK Ebony. As I was saying..."

Ebony smiles and listens to him talk. Once they get back to the tack room, Keith helps her get down and he shows her how to take the gear off. Then after he leads her back to the house for one of Jenny's home cooked meals. Their mouths started watering as soon as they caught a whiff of the delectable meal.

Ebony had to stay with the Meadowbrooks over winter as the deep snow would make getting back to New York incredibly difficult, even for Ebony. She preferred to stay anyway as she loved Jenny's cooking. They were curious about how she could put on weight so fast when she ate what everyone else ate. Keith finally decided to ask her one night during dinner.

Keith "Hey Ebony, I've been wondering..."

Ebony looks at him and puts her cutlery down. Keith was looking at his plate. He gathers his courage then looks her in the eye.

Keith "Don't take this the wrong way but, how do you put on weight so fast? You've been eating the same as us but you've gained a lot of weight..."

Ebony "There's a simple explanation actually. I can consciously control my metabolism. I can choose whether I store fat for when food is scarce or use up fat reserves. Just like animals that hibernate over winter"

Keith's eyes widen, surprised. Ebony clearly thought it was no big deal since she grew up able to do it. Her modesty shocked him sometimes.

A few weeks later...

Ebony sits in the hollow in the hay that was her bed. At just over 6 foot long and 2 foot wide, it could comfortably fit two. She flicks her large ears and listens to the sound of the storm raging outside. Yet another storm, winter trying to keep its grip on the land as spring drew ever near with each passing day. She had been at the farm for over two months now and spring was only a few weeks away. Keith sat on a high mound of hay about a metre away from her, his weight causing him to sink into the hay. Ebony glances at him and covers her mouth, trying to hide a smile and muffle a giggle. Keith lifts his gaze and looks at her, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

Keith "What's so funny?"

Ebony clasps both hands over her mouth, her eyes shining with amusement as she struggles to keep from laughing at him. Keith was clueless about what she could possibly find so funny. His cluelessness only made it harder for Ebony to contain her laughter. She giggles through her hands. Ebony finally couldn't take it anymore and falls back laughing. Keith smiles at her then grins. Her laughter was infectious and soon Keith was laughing with her.

They laugh together for a good 10 minutes before they finally calm down. Ebony sits up and looks at Keith and giggles, despite her sore ribs from so much laughing. Keith becomes even more confused, unable to figure out what she found so funny about him.

Keith "Oh come on Ebony, tell me what's so funny!"

Ebony "You've sunk into the hay..."

Keith looks down and sees she was right. He had sunk so deep into the hay that he wouldn't be able to get out easily without help. Ebony crosses her legs and watches him, wondering if he would attempt to get out by himself or ask her to help him. For 5 minutes, Keith tries to get himself out with no success.

Ebony "Need a hand?"

Keith looks at her and nods, having got no further than he was before. Ebony smiles softly and gets to her feet. She grabs his hand and gives him up onto his feet, out of the hole he had made in the mound of hay. Keith smiles at her in thanks. Ebony takes a step back but loses her balance. Ebony fall backwards, the hay softening the fall. Keith couldn't let go of her hand in time and is pulled down on top of her. Eye to eye, the two teens blush.

Ebony "Oops... sorry Keith"

Keith rolls off her and lies beside her. He tries to get his blush to fade as he looks at her.

Keith "It's OK Ebony. At least I'm out of the hay"

Ebony giggles then yawns, tired after a long day. Keith grabs the blanket and covers her with it. He blushes as Ebony sleepily wraps her arms around him, preventing him from moving away.

Ebony "Stay with me tonight. It's a little cold to sleep alone..."

Keith quickly gives in to her and pulls the blanket over them both. Ebony snuggled up to him, causing him to blush more. Half asleep, Ebony was instinctively drawn to body warmth. Keith wraps his arms around her and holds her close as he drifts off to sleep.

**Please Review or Favourite**


	9. Chapter 9 - Surprises and Gifts

**I do not own the TMNT that right belongs to Nick, I only own the oc's in this story**

Keith yawns and stretches, standing just outside the barn door. Sunrise had begun, the clouds varying shades of pinks, yellows, reds and blues. The mutant Border collie teen smiles as he admires the sunrise. He could hear the horses in the distance, waiting for their breakfast. Keith's classic floppy ears prick up at the sound of crunching snow, wondering where Ebony was. She was already gone when he woke up. A strange noise makes him look up as a lot of snow suddenly fell off the roof of the barn, almost directly above him.

Up on the roof clearing snow, Ebony moves to the very edge of the roof and looks down immediately after she hears a brief yelp of surprise. The movement of some snow then the appearance of a familiar black nose attracted her attention.

Ebony "Keith!"

Ebony quickly jumps down from the roof and runs over to him. She quickly, but carefully, removes the snow from around Keith's head. He didn't seem hurt so far, just shocked. Ebony starts to dig him out of the snow.

Ebony "I'm so sorry Keith. I didn't know you were up"

The two mutant teens talk as Ebony helps Keith out of the snow. As they talk, the Border collie teenager looks at the feline teenager. She was wearing the clothes Jenny had given her for Christmas. Keith's mind wanders to that day as Ebony digs him out of the snow.

_Christmas Day earlier that winter_

Ebony smiles at Keith, both teens sitting on the floor while Jenny and John were sitting on their recliner chairs in the living room around the decorated Christmas tree. The Meadowbrook's were surprised when they found out that Ebony had never had a proper Christmas before and had insisted she help out with decorating. Most of the gifts had just been opened except for Ebony's, of which there were three, as well as two more for Keith.

Jenny "Go on dear they're for you. It's just a little something I thought you would need"

Ebony looks at the three presents and opens the biggest one first, which was from Jenny. Neatly sorted inside were clothes. Ebony's eyes widened at the sight of them. Now she understood why Jenny had been so interested in what kinds of clothes she preferred. Ebony was speechless.

Jenny "You don't need to say anything dear"

Ebony smiles at the elderly lady and gives her a hug, unable to express her gratitude any other way. They all smile as she opens the next present. It was a pink songbird am/fm radio, alarm clock and mp3 player from John. As Ebony gives John a thank you hug, Keith fidgets and glances at his present for her.

Before Keith could move to get his gift for her, Ebony's tail curled around one of the gifts for him and lifted it up. Her prehensile tail had many advantages. She had meant to pick up her gift for him but instead got the one from John. Keith watches as Ebony's tail comes towards him and places the gift in his hands, still amazed by the dexterity of her long, fluffy tail. He smiles at her then opens the gift. It was a white Galaxy S 5 smart phone. Keith smiles at John then looks at Ebony.

She smiles shyly at him, her gift for him in her hands. He gently takes it from her and starts to open it, wondering what she got for him. Keith holds a light grey shirt in his hands then unfolds it and chuckles. On the front was a picture of a Border collie and a cat sitting back to back, looking over their shoulders at each other. The Border collie's coat matched Keith's and the cat's matched Ebony's. He looks at Ebony to say something when she motions for him to turn it around. On the back it said 'Friendship overcomes all barriers' with a heart below the words.

Keith blushes and smiles at Ebony, whom was blushing as well. He puts the shirt down and hands her his gift for her. Ebony's blush faded as she takes it and opens it. Her eyes widen as a gasp escapes her lips. She gingerly lifts a silver necklace out of its box. Hanging from the chain was a silver, diamond studded, heart locket. Tears gather at the corners of her eyes as she looks at Keith. He rubs the back of his neck, blushing.

Keith "I um… saw the necklace and thought it would be a good Christmas gift…"

Keith stops talking as Ebony hugs him, her arms around his neck and her cheek against his. Ebony blushes as she moves her head to look into his eyes. She opens her mouth to say something, but changes her mind and kisses Keith on the lips. His eyes widen in shock before he kisses her back, his arms around her waist. Jenny and John smile softly at each other. They had been wondering when they would kiss and had actually secretly made a bet on who would be the one to initiate the kiss. The two teenagers were oblivious of the couple as they break the kiss and stare into each other's eyes. They snap out of it when they hear John clear his throat. The two teenagers blush and look at Jenny and John.

Jenny "Why don't you two try on your new clothes?"

Keith and Ebony nod then grab their new clothes. Keith takes his top off and puts his new one from Ebony on, a perfect fit. Ebony smiles at him then grabs the box of clothes she got from Jenny then heads for the bathroom to change. Keith tries to wait patiently for her to come out. He looks down at his feet then looks up again as he hears footsteps. Ebony was wearing a belly shirt and shorts that only went half way down her thighs. With her belly exposed, Keith could see her 6pack abs and the pale fur on her belly. A dark stripe ran down her spine from the base of her skull to the base of her tail and was the same colour as the stocking markings on her legs and the stripes on her arms, legs and tail. Keith blushes deeply, watching her muscles ripple beneath her fur as she moves. He notices the necklace he gave her around her neck and smiles, blushing more.

Keith {OMG, she is HOT!}

Later that night, Ebony helped Jenny set up the table for the dinner party. The few friends they trusted to keep Keith's existence a secret were invited and had been told that they had a unique guest staying over who would be attending as well. They were pleasantly surprised when they saw Ebony but didn't make a big fuss. After dinner, Keith looks at Ebony and taps her shoulder, glad she was sitting beside him.

Keith "Feel like going for a walk?

Ebony nods and the two get up, excusing themselves from the table. The adults give each other cryptic looks as the two teenagers walk out the door. Keith glances at Ebony and gently holds her hand. Ebony blushes softly and curls her fingers around his. They keep walking until they reach the pond. They stop and face each other.

Keith "I uh… have a confession to make…."

Ebony looks up at him, wondering what he wanted to say. Keith takes a deep breath and looks Ebony in the eye.

Keith "I love you"

Ebony blushes and kisses him, wrapping her arms around him. Keith blushes as well and wraps his arms around her. When they finally break the kiss, they stand with their heads together. Ebony whispers so only he can hear.

Ebony "I love you too"

They blush then kiss each other again as the moon comes out from behind the clouds, lighting up the snow. Only once they started feeling the cold did they head for the warmth of the barn. Once inside, they lay in each other's arms up in the hayloft, completely unaware of the passing of time. Moonlight streamed in through the window, surrounding them in a pool of soft light.

**Please Review or Favourite**


	10. Chapter 10 - Song and Dance

Ebony smiles as she slowly wakes up, lying on her left side. She loved waking up so warm and comfortable. Soft breathing by her ear made her giggle softly. Turning her head to the right, she could catch a glimpse of Keith's sleeping face out of the corner of her eye. Keith's arms were wrapped around her lower chest, with her back against him. Ebony snuggles into him, purring softly.

_Back to the present_

Keith was too busy remembering Christmas Day to notice what Ebony was doing. He blushes beetroot red as she kisses him, kissing her back seconds later. Christmas was a while ago but he was still getting used to having a girlfriend. Ebony had admitted to him early on that she knew very little about dating. Keith wraps his arms around her waist and gently pulls her close to him. Ebony rests her head on his shoulder as she feels him shiver. Both of them had their winter fur coats but the snow was melting easier as spring drew closer. Snow melted by his body heat had seeped through his clothes and into his fur.

Ebony "You OK Keith?"

Keith "Yeah, beside for being wet from the snow you dumped on me"

Keith and Ebony laugh as he was just teasing her and it showed in his tone of voice.

Ebony "I'm so sorry for that. Let's get you dry and out of these wet clothes"

Keith smiles a bit and nods. Ebony giggles and helps him out of the snow and onto his feet. Keith smiles at her as they walk hand in hand to the house. Keith lets her lead him into the bathroom, grabbing a towel as they go. Ebony closes the door behind them then looks at him.

Ebony "Alright. Take off your wet clothes"

Keith blushes a bit and takes off his polerfleece jumper. He blushes more when Ebony takes his wet shirt off and starts dry off his chest, back and shoulders. Leaving the removed wet clothes in a neat pile on the floor, Ebony leaves the room to get Keith some dry clothes while he takes off his pants and finishes drying himself off. She hands him dry pants and boxers through the door, being careful not to look at him naked. Ebony walks in when he asks for the shirt though. Keith blushes as she puts a hand on his chest.

Ebony "I wasn't sure which shirt to choose so I didn't grab one"

Keith "Or did you just want to see me without a shirt on?"

Ebony "That too"

He blushes more as she hugs him, resting her head against his shoulder. Keith's tail started to wag as Ebony purrs. He kisses her forehead, loving the sound of her purr. They stand like that for a few minutes before they hear Keith's stomach grumble. Ebony giggles and lets go of him, poking him in the belly.

Ebony "Looks like someone is hungry!"

Keith "Hungry? I'm starving!"

The two teens laugh as they walk out of the bathroom after Ebony put the wet clothes in the dirty clothes basket. Her own stomach started growling as she caught the first whiff of breakfast, making her mouth water. Jenny's delicious waffles, hash browns and… oohhh! Hickory smoked bacon! Ebony glances at Keith. She could tell he was starting to smell it too. She grins and races into the kitchen with Keith hot on her heels. Jenny couldn't help laughing when she turns around to see them both in their seats. She serves them their first helping then calls up to John.

Jenny "You better get down here quick dear or else there will be none left for you! I made your favourite…"

The three in the kitchen couldn't help laughing as they heard John leap out of bed with a thump at the very mention of her making his favourite anything! They only laughed harder when John stumbled into view with his shirt on backwards.

John "What? What's so funny?"

Ebony "Your... ha-ha! Your shirt is on backwards

They all laugh and start to eat after John had turned his shirt the right way. Ebony listens as the other three discuss who would get which chores for the day. She never minds which is delegated to her. As the days pass and the snow started to turn to slush and melt, everyone could tell spring was well on its way. The snow itself is no indicator as false spring brings weather warm enough to melt some of the snow. The birds were starting to sing in the trees again and tender buds were starting to form. They all knew that everything will be warmer and brighter soon.

_Spring_

Ebony yawns and rubs her eyes as she walks towards the house. Somehow she had slept in late. Keith wasn't beside her when she woke up and the house seemed like the best option as she was hungry for breakfast. Ebony couldn't help smiling as she felt the soft spring grass beneath her feet. She loves all the seasons for the changes they bring. Winter brings snow, spring brings new life, summer brings perfect swimming weather and autumn brings the falling of deciduous leaves.

Walking up to the front door, the house was strangely quiet. Ebony flicks her ears then lies them back in apprehension. The house was hardly ever quiet at this time of day. She hesitates before she opens the door and walks inside. All the curtains were drawn, making it dark inside. Ebony closes the door with her tail, glancing around nervously as she heads for the lounge, hearing something. She jumps in surprise as the lights suddenly switch on, momentarily blinding her.

Voices "Surprise! Happy 18th birthday Ebony!"

Ebony opens her eyes and gapes in surprise. At least 9 presents were on the coffee table, balloons were everywhere, she could smell the various foods that were set aside for lunch as well as the cake and almost every human that she had met during her stay at the farm was present. Keith smiles as he walks over to her.

Keith "Do you like your surprise party?"

Ebony "I... I'm speechless..."

Everyone chuckles as Keith puts a birthday hat on her head, just for the fun of it. Only then does she realise that almost everyone was wearing the silly looking paper hats, making Ebony giggle. Keith grins at her and kisses her cheek. The adults chuckle and the party gets underway. Keith and Ebony decided to dance a little as the music started up. Keith looks into her eyes, smiling softly as everyone watched. Ebony blushes as he dips just as the song ended and as everyone clapped happily.

Everyone was thoroughly enjoying the party. Keith had explained that they had gone to such lengths because Ebony had never had a birthday party before and they wanted to show how much they cared about her. Time had flown by and Ebony was now opening her presents. Among the presents she had already opened was a black Samsung Galaxy S 5, a birthstone necklace, arts and crafts supplies, a yoga poses poster, a stainless steel Premier Chocolate Fondue Fountain and chocolate for said fountain. Keith fidgets as he waits for the right moment. He hadn't put his gift for her with the others so he could give it to her himself.

When she had finally opened all the presents on the coffee table, Ebony looks at Keith. She had noticed that there had been none from him among them. Keith walks over to her and brings out the present from behind his back.

Keith "I wanted to give you this myself"

He hands it to her and watches as she opens it. Everyone looks at them when they hear her gasp. Inside the present was a little ring box and inside the box was a beautiful promise ring. Keith blushes as he takes the ring out of the box and slides it onto Ebony's left middle finger, whispering in her ear as he does so. The two blush bright red and kiss. They stand with their foreheads together for a while, just holding each other.

Ebony knew she should return to New York soon. Even though she wants to go home, she also wants to stay here on Meadowbrook farm. Jenny had reassured her that she could visit whenever she likes. Luckily for her, Fred the local produce truck driver is a good friend of the Meadowbrook's and is one of the people at her party. Ebony could hear Jenny asking Fred if he could be Ebony's mode of transport when she wants to come over and go home to New York. They started talking about something else as they walked out of her hearing range.


	11. Chapter 11 - To Turn a Blind Eye

p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"strongTo Turn a Blind Eye/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"A broad happy smile spread across a furry face as sharp eyes look down on the few humans walking the streets of New York at such a late hour. Back muscles starting to ache from staying in an uncomfortable position for too long, the shadowy figure stands up and stretches. Hearing a soft 'wolf whistle' come from the other side of the roof, the figure turns around and folds their arms across their chest. A cheeky stray tomcat grins and saunters towards the tall feminine figure. She rolls her eyes, tired of the cat's flirty demeanour. Sitting a metre away, the cat looks up at the powerful feline mutant./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "What do you want WolfSong?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"WolfSong "I just want to talk is all..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "Pfft, oh yeah right you do. You're the cat version of those shifty humans that sell stolen and faulty goods"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"WolfSong "Ebony! I'm hurt that you think so lowly of me..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "Just cut to the chase WolfSong. I don't have the patience to listen to you ramble on"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"WolfSong "For a lovely young lady like yourself my dear. I was scrounging for a snack earlier today when I heard strange voices coming from an open window. Almost robotic and with very bad grammar I must say. So I jumped up onto the window and had a peek inside. You know those freaky pink aliens that dress up as identical humans and look like brains without their suits? Well I saw three of them in the room with a little human tied up in front of them on the floor. They were talking about experimentation or something"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "Where were you when this happened?!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"WolfSong "An alley on Fifth, the one between the alley that stinks and the graffiti alley"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"WolfSong squeaks in surprise as Ebony suddenly scoops him up and takes off running. None of the few cats Ebony has carried while running have gotten used to the sheer speed at which Ebony can run at full speed. WolfSong could barely see anything with the wind in his eyes and even if he could see, there wasn't much to look at except buildings and streets going past in a blur. As she runs, Ebony thinks about just how she got back home to New York./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"emTwo days earlier/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "You are really going to do that for me?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Jenny "Of course we are dear. We can't have you going hungry whenever food was scarce like you were before. Now, every Sunday night Fred will drop off food to last you for the week at a location you two will choose when he drops you off. If you need anything, text or call us and I'll personally make sure that it is added to the next delivery"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony smiles and hugs Jenny happily. She was overwhelmed by the lengths to which people were willing to go to for her. Everyone spent the rest of the day preparing for Ebony's departure. Keith was finding it hard to say goodbye, even though he knew it wouldn't be long until she visits again. As the time for Ebony to get into Fred's truck drew close, Keith found it increasingly difficult to assist in the preparations. Ebony pauses to glance around and catches sight of Keith standing apart from everyone else./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony's ears flick back against her head slightly in worry then forward again as she walks over to him. Keith glances at her and smiles, having not noticed her approach until she was right beside him. Ebony just smiles back and wraps her arms around him./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "What's bothering you?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Keith "You're going back to New York..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "You know I'll visit often silly. I don't want to go but at the same time I do. I miss my home and there are things going on in New York that need sorting out..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Keith "I know. You've already told me about your... what did you call them?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "Missions or adventures. I really haven't made up my mind about that. You haven't forgotten that I'll be back for next winter have you?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Keith "I haven't forgotten, but winter is so far away..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "Winter will be here in 8 or 9 months. It's not that far away, it only seems like it. It'll give you time to think of things we could do when we have spare time..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Keith couldn't stop himself from grinning at the tone of her voice. He could feel her fingers tapping a rhythm on his ribs and see the slow, gentle swaying of her 6'1 long fluffy tail. Keith sighs contentedly as he wraps his arms around her and holds her close. Ebony glances over at the others when she hears that they were finished. Keith sighs and lets go of her./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Keith "I guess it's time for you to go now..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "I guess it is. I'll keep in touch"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony looks up at him and kisses him lovingly. Keith couldn't help feeling abandoned as Ebony pulled away from the kiss after a minute and walked towards Fred's truck. Watching her climb into the truck and close the door was hard enough, but watching Fred drive away... he didn't have to watch. The tears in his eyes blurred his vision so he could barely see./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"emBack to the present/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony pushes the memory away and focuses on where she was going. All she could hear was the usual noises of New York, the sound of her feet on the ground and her own pounding heart. Her pace changed to reflect her heartbeat. To her, it minimised unnecessary noise that could potentially drown out threatening sounds./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"WolfSong glances up at what little he could see of her. All he could see was her neck, the underside of her chin and jaw and glimpses of her face. What surprised him was the sheer determination on her face. Nothing is going to stand in her way while she is in this mood. Ebony lets WolfSong jump down once they had arrived at the alleyway. She didn't need him to tell her which window, she could already hear the all too familiar voice of the Kraang. Ebony growls softly and silently sneaks closer with WolfSong at her heels./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"A young female cat called Snowbell watches them from behind a trashcan, wondering what they were doing. Her human family had recently moved nearby and had only just started letting her out. Only just old enough to no longer be considered a kitten, Snowbell's curiosity sometimes got the better of her. Being a rare breed of cat called a Burmilla, her family had gotten her micro chipped and put a collar around her neck. Ebony glances at the two cats and gets an idea./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Meanwhile inside, two of the three Kraang prepares a vial of mutagen for the experiment. One looks over its shoulder at the third Kraang, whom was carrying the young human WolfSong had seen. Putting the semiconscious girl down in a corner, the Kraang joins its companions. Ebony peers in through the window as WolfSong jumps onto the windowsill from her shoulder. Snowbell walks up Ebony's tail onto her back, waiting for her signal. Ebony waits until WolfSong was in position then signals Snowbell. The young cat leaps through the window to land quietly on the floor of the room. Her life as a house cat had its advantages. Ebony keeps out of sight and waits./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Just as the Kraang turn towards the girl, WolfSong seemingly leaps out of nowhere and yowls like a demon was after him. The distraction had the desired effect, giving Ebony enough time to leap in through the window, take out one of the Kraang and go after the next. Snowbell jumps into the little girl's lap to try keep her from freaking out as she came to./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"During the fight, the last Kraang was bumped into hard enough for it to spill the mutagen. Snowbell leaps out of the path of the mutagen as it flew through the air just in time as it splashed onto the girl. Ebony quickly defeats the last Kraang then watches helplessly as the girl begins to mutate, knowing the risks if she tried to touch her too soon. The poor girl's fearful cries fill the room as she mutates. As soon as it was safe for her to do so, Ebony comforts the terrified girl as best she can. Her appearance made it that much harder to calm the poor girl down./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"A sound behind her was Ebony's only warning of what was coming. She turns to look over her shoulder just as a powerful punch hits her in the side of the head, knocking her away from the child. Ebony snarls and shakes her head to clear it and glares in her attacker's direction. Her anger quickly turned to confusion./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Standing between Ebony and her only means of escape was a muscular male Felisar. Despite the Kraang being terrified of Felisars, the three she had taken out were working with one. His two tails flick back and forth in aggravation. His lips curl in a snarl as he growls at the pest who had just ruined his experiment. The high council had banished him from Truearus after his 'illegal' experimentations were discovered and destroyed. He had managed to salvage his research and had bargained his way into a fragile alliance with the Kraang. Now this... this... impudent welp had gone and just about ruined all of his hard work in a matter of seconds!/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony snarls back as she get to her feet, preparing to fight. She only had mere seconds to prepare herself before he attacked. In such a fast paced fight, it is nearly impossible for an onlooker to figure out who had the upper hand. Finding himself losing a fight with a youngster half his age, the Felisar decided to cheat in a fair fight. Leaping back as he reached into a pocket, he caught her off guard. The next thing Ebony knew, he had thrown or sprayed something in her face, and it BURNED! It had gotten into her eyes and nose, causing immense pain. The room echoed with her cries of agony. When she could finally open her eyes again, they were milky white. Whatever he had thrown or sprayed had rendered Ebony blind./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"The Felisar began to attack her with no mercy. Blind and with her sense of smell greatly diminished, she was defenceless against him. She yelps as her arm is slashed and makes a futile attempt to attack him. He got through her every defence, weakening her./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Unknown to him, Ebony was losing on purpose, learning. Her eyesight is gone and her sense of smell is crippled, but her hearing wasn't affected at all. Straining her ears to their limit, she finally picked up what she was straining to hear, her opponent's heartbeat. Head low, she grins savagely./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Believing he had the upper hand, the Felisar goes in to finish her off. For Ebony, time slowed down. She could hear 5 individual heartbeats, one of which was her own. The girl hadn't moved from the corner, WolfSong was beside Snowbell, trying to calm her. So that just left one. In a heartbeat, the Felisar was knocked back, completely taken off guard. He growls at his blind opponent, wondering just how she did that./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Felisar {It doesn't matter anyways. As long as she is younger than 18, I've got this in the bag. Even if she has hers already, it won't matter. It'll just be a little more interesting}/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"He grins evilly as a plan forms in his head. Ebony shifts her feet nervously as he begins to change forms. Felisars have three forms which they can take. Their normal form, their pet form where they look like your average Earth cat, and then there is their third form, the feral form. The pet form and feral form are 'locked' until the Felisar reaches a certain age. The pet form is normally 'unlocked' at age 5 while the feral form isn't 'unlocked' until the Felisar is at least 18 years old. Ebony could only hear the changes that were taking place as he changes into his feral form./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"A Felisar's feral form ranges in size but is about the size of an adult tiger and has a similar skeleton. The largest feral form of a Felisar ever recorded stood an inch taller than the largest tiger. This Felisar's feral form is one of the largest, only a few inches smaller than the record breaker. He growls savagely at Ebony as he moves into position to attack. What happened next took him by surprise./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Just as he lunges for her throat, Ebony lashes out with a punch strong enough to knock him to the ground. He watches in surprise as Ebony began to change, becoming her feral form for the first time. His surprise turned to shock as she became as big as him and kept on growing. When Ebony finally stopped growing, she was absolutely HUGE! Standing 7'2 at the shoulder and weighing in at a whopping 700 kilos, she was twice the height of what used to be the largest Felisar feral form on record. With a deafening roar, she attacked and ended his life. Calm again, Ebony changed back into her normal form. She walks unsteadily towards the girl, still totally blind./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "It's OK now, he won't hurt you anymore. I won't hurt you. I came to rescue you"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"The girl shies away from her, too terrified to trust her. Sounds only Ebony could hear spooked her, causing her to scoop up the girl and lunge blindly out the window. The girl was in no position to struggle, her hands and feet still bound. WolfSong and Snowbell quickly follow Ebony out the window and look up at her. Despite being blind, Ebony got out the window fine. How she was going to get home was another matter altogether./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "WolfSong..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"WolfSong "Yes Ebony?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "Do you think you can find someone for me? Bring them here?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"WolfSong "I'll try my best"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony nods and tells WolfSong who to go look for. The tomcat nods and races off as she settles down to wait where she wouldn't be spotted with Snowbell's help. Ebony and the girl spent the next 2 hours just talking as they waited for WolfSong to return. Snowbell relaxed on the girl's lap as the two talked. As it turned out, the girl's name is Coraline, the 9 year old daughter of an unemployed couple, of whose care she had been removed from at an early age. She had been kidnapped a week prior to Ebony's return to New York and been held captive by the Kraang and Felisar. The 18 year old started to speak but then fell silent as faint sounds reach her ears. Ebony flicks her ears and then relaxes against the wall, smiling softly./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "WolfSong is back and he brought company. You have no reason to be afraid of them"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Coraline looks at Ebony then hides behind her as four mutant turtles jump down into the alley from a rooftop. Ebony smiles in their direction, relying solely on her ears to figure out where they were./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Donatello "Ebony... you're..."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Michelangelo "Dude, what is up with your eyes Ebony?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "I am blind. I should have known that WolfSong couldn't have explained what happened. Huh? But there is no time to explain. It isn't safe here. Come on Coraline"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"The 4 boys stare in surprise as the little girl steps out from behind Ebony. She was a human no more, but a mutant cat. Ebony picks her up and lets the four brothers lead her to a safer location. After helping her sit down, they ask her to explain. Ebony nods and explains what happened, but left out that the alien that showed up was a Felisar and just how she defeated him. If she hadn't, they would have wanted to know how she knew and the truth about what she is would be revealed sooner than she'd like./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Michelangelo "Wow! You defeated that alien blind with using just your hearing?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Raphael "Yes Mikey, she just said that"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "There is one problem though. Because I am blind, I can't make my way home alone. I know where you four are because I can hear your heartbeats. Finding my way home is impossible with me like this"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Leonardo "Just tell us where to go and we'll take you home"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"Ebony "Thank you"/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: #fffffa;"The four turtles help Ebony back to her feet as she tells them where she lives. Leo and Donny walk beside her while Mikey scouts ahead and Raph trails behind. /p 


End file.
